The Thick of It Series 4: Watch a Sneak Peek of the Premiere

Satirical British comedy series The Thick of It is returning to BBC Two after nearly three years off the air. Creator Armando Iannucci took a break from the series in order to come to the US and create the HBO comedy series Veep, a tonally similar examination of the vice president's office.

When The Thick of It aired its most recent episode in December 2009, the British government had undergone a little bit of a mix-up. Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), the Prime Minister's foulmouthed enforcer, found himself in the outgoing party, and in the fourth series will be fighting to regain power. The focus of the new series is also revealed in the new subtitle for series 4: Coalition. The opposing parties will be forced to work together. "Series 4 is structured around events that cause momentum that bring the government and the opposition together," Iannucci told TVRage last month.

In a sneak peek from the series released on Tuesday, the newly appointed Secretary of State for Social Affairs, Peter Mannion, prepares to launch his coalition partner Fergus's new 'Networked Nation' policy at a local school. He's not a big fan of the idea, and is more concerned with purchasing a personal gift for his wife -- though he doesn't know what that should be.

Check out the new sneak peek video below. Be warned: it does contain some of The Thick of It's characteristic strong language.

The Thick of It: Coalition will premiere this Saturday, September 8 on BBC Two. It will be available in the United States the same day on Hulu.